Janet Shaw
Janet Shaw stumbled into this world with a book and a pen in her hands - oh, and a magnifying glass. Born with a rare eye cancer, she was lucky to survive, let alone have a small amount of her sight saved. Refusing to let her disability restrain her, Janet submerged herself in 'The Secret Seven', 'The Silver Brumby' and all the horse stories she could find. Not content with just reading, she set her sights on becoming an author one day. Little did she know back then that her first book - her autobiography - would be born after a major health crisis at age thirty-three when Janet lost her eyesight totally. And if anyone had told her that entering the world of darkness would be the best thing that ever happened to her, she would have died laughing hysterically. Now seven years on, she is the first to admit that her life has never been so rich and full of opportunities.
Janet is a qualified Social Worker, Speaker, Author, Freelance Writer and Paralympian. After losing her sight, she transmogrified from a sloth into an elite athlete, representing Australia at the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games where she won two bronze medals in tandem cycling. 'Beyond the Red Door', published by Allen and Unwin in the same year, is her first book. Janet has now turned her hand to writing for children. Some of her short stories have been prizewinners or highly commended in competitions, and one is to be published in the NSW School magazine in 2008. Currently, she has completed a junior fiction manuscript, has a young adult novel as a work-in-progress, and is planning some picture books. She also writes for Harcourt Educational Publishers and picks up freelance writing jobs in her spare time.
Janet's motivational talks have one powerful message: "Never give up, nothing is impossible". By sharing her life story, she shows her audiences that challenges can be beaten and overcome. In her writing workshops, particularly with kids, she aims to help them unlock the door to their creativity and to foster self-belief in their ability to write and create stories. The many obstacles Janet has overcome in her life through being vision-impaired have fuelled her determination to boost self-confidence, self-esteem and self-belief in children so that they can follow their dreams.
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